


Human Limitations

by Gamerqueer



Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 4
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Developing Relationship, F/F, Femslash, Hurt/Comfort, Sexual Content, The Railroad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-23
Updated: 2016-02-23
Packaged: 2018-05-22 20:20:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6092905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gamerqueer/pseuds/Gamerqueer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Glory, a synth and recent recruit of the Railroad, moves quickly through the ranks. She learns with the help of Desdemona that many of the things she once considered human limitations are not restricted to humans after all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Human Limitations

Desdemona held a lit cigarette between her fingers as she leaned against a large concrete column. She blew smoke into the cool night air and kicked at shell casings on the ground. Streaks of blood painted the cement where she and G7-81— _Glory_ —had dragged the bodies of the raiders they had killed a few hours earlier away from their camp to burn them. _Glory_. Desdemona took another long drag as she looked over at the woman asleep on her sleeping bag, her chest rising and falling slowly. Glory had chosen her name the same day she had escaped the Institute and refused the memory wipe. Two days had passed since then.

                                                                                           

* * *

 

 

_It wasn’t often that Desdemona still went out in person to meet newly escaped synths, but a call on the radio from High Rise about a synth who had refused a memory wipe and wanted to join the Railroad had caught her attention. When Desdemona arrived at the cabin they had agreed to meet at near Ticonderoga, she found five dead Gunners outside—each with dozens of shots across their chests. Desdemona’s hand fell to her pistol as she cautiously opened the door. She breathed a sigh of relief as she found High Rise sitting on the floor munching on a box of Sugar Bombs with two women sitting next to him. One, with dark skin and silver hair, ran her hand through the short black hair of a pale woman who appeared to be sleeping._

_“High Rise, a word,” Desdemona said, stepping back outside of the cabin._

_High Rise followed, tucking the Sugar Bombs under his arm. “Glad to see you made it here in one piece, Dez.”_

_“I’m glad you’re safe as well.” She tugged at the scarf around her neck then cleared her throat. “You said there was only one of them.”_

_The man nodded. “G7-81’s the one sitting up. She took out all those Gunners by herself. Even refused the memory wipe earlier.”_

_“Yes. She’s the one you told me about. She seems quite capable. Who’s the other?”_

_High Rise shifted uncomfortably. “G5-19…” He rubbed the back of his neck. “She didn’t come through the memory wipe, but G7-81 won’t leave her. She says she wants to join us but needs to know that G5-19 will be protected.”_

_“Hmm…thank you, High Rise. I’ll speak with her.” Desdemona entered the cabin once again. “G7-81, my name is Desdemona. High Rise will take G5-19 to one of our safehouses while you come out on a mission with me. I need to make sure you’re a good fit for our team. What do you say?”_

_“Everything I do will be in your honor. All the glory I find out there is yours too,” G7-81 whispered to G5-19. She touched her hand tenderly then stood and faced Desdemona. “Let’s go kick some ass.” She adjusted the strap of the assault rifle on her back. “And call me…Glory.”_

* * *

 

 

Glory slept with one hand gripping her newly found minigun. While Desdemona preferred pistols and light rifles, it had become clear—even on their first mission together—that Glory liked weapons that packed more than a few punches. Desdemona took another puff on her cigarette when suddenly she heard footsteps in the distance. She looked back down at the sleeping Glory and decided not to wake her. Desdemona threw her cigarette to the ground, took the silenced sniper rifle she had strapped behind her back, and peered through the scope. It took a few moments, but she soon saw a raider’s head come into view, and she pulled the trigger. The man in the distance collapsed in a lonely heap. After scanning for more raiders and finding none, Desdemona flung the rifle on her back once more.

Glory jerked upright at the sound of the muffled gunshot. “What the hell?! Why didn’t you wake me up?!” she breathed. She stood and lifted her minigun.

“It was just one raider,” said Desdemona. “ _But_ if there’s one, more may follow. We need to get packed up, so we need to find a better place to rest for the night.”

“I don’t need any more rest,” Glory replied. “It’s only our second day out.”

“But _I_ do. Humans need more than a few hours of sleep every other night. That’s one thing you’ll have to get used to if you work with us. Human limitations.”

“I know all about humans. But in the Institute, the only weaknesses I saw were huge fucking egos.”

Desdemona smiled for the first time in front of Glory. “Humans have plenty of weaknesses. Pride, greed, lust…” Her gaze lingered on Glory’s mouth for a moment. “Those can all be learned by synths as well though.” She kicked dirt onto their campfire to put it out then lifted the backpack of canned food, bottled water, and other survival supplies. “It’s only in the most basic things that humans differ greatly from synths. We have less stamina and strength, and we need more food, water, and rest to sustain ourselves. The Institute probably didn’t want to highlight those weaknesses.”

“Hmm,” muttered Glory as she pondered what had been said. She set the minigun on the ground then knelt down and rolled up the sleeping bag. “I suppose you’re right.” She wrapped the strap for the sleeping bag around her chest then lifted her minigun once again. “So where’re we headed?”

“We need to head northeast to meet my contact at Bunker Hill by tomorrow afternoon, and it’s up to you to find shelter for tonight. I need to know that you have survival skills before you can be a part of the Railroad.”

“Okay then…since you haven’t given me much to work with, I’m just gonna say we go north till we hit those apartment buildings you marked on my map. With both of us, and my girl here,” Glory tapped her minigun, “it should be easy enough to secure even if there are a shit ton of raiders.”

Desdemona’s eyes lit up though she did not allow a smile to spread across her mouth. “I’ll follow your lead.”

                                                                                           

* * *

 

 

Desdemona flicked ash off the end of her cigarette then sipped a Nuka Cola. Rays of sunlight peeked through hazy evening sky which showed through the holes in the roof. After meeting with Stockton in person for the first time in months, Desdemona now sat in an abandoned house with Glory across from her and a fire between them. Glory had strung tin cans from all the possible points of entrance to alert them to the presence of an intruder.

“Can I have a cigarette?” asked Glory, finishing off a can of beans.

Desdemona laughed and took a puff on her own. “Why the hell would you want to pick up a nasty human habit like that?”

“I just want to relax, Dez. I haven’t been able to since we started this mission together.”

“That’s fair,” said Desdemona, raising an eyebrow. She reached in her jacket and pulled out a lighter and her pack of cigarettes—only three remained. She lit one and extended it out to Glory. “If you take this, you owe me an answer to one question.”

Glory reached out and took the cigarette then brought it to her lips. “Ask away.”

“Who was G5-19 to you?”

Glory leaned against the wall and blew smoke Desdemona’s direction. She closed her eyes for a moment. “I worked with G5-19 in maintenance.” When she opened them again, she saw Desdemona had moved closer to her. “She was the only reason I had to keep going. She was… _everything_.” Glory felt liquid moving up into her tear ducts but could not fight it.

Desdemona put out her cigarette on the ground then put her hand over Glory’s. “You loved her.”

Glory sucked on the cigarette then flicked the ashes off. “I’ll _always_ love her. I told her she didn’t have to have her memory wiped, but memories of the Institute were too much for her. Fuck, sometimes they’re still too much for _me_ too.” She stared at the red glow at the end of her cigarette. “I know what made her _her_ is gone now. I’m not an idiot. But I have to make sure whatever’s left is taken care of.”

“When you’re out on missions, I’ll make sure someone is with her at all times.” Desdemona tightened her grip on Glory’s hand. “I know what it’s like to lose someone.”

“Who?”

“My wife Sam was kidnapped four years ago by raiders while we were out doing a supply run.” Desdemona said—voice unwavering—as she stared at the dilapidated wall in front of her. “When I tried to negotiate with them, they cut her head clean off her body as I watched. I barely made it out of there with my own life.” She pulled her hand back and glared at the woman beside her. “Don’t you dare tell anyone I shared that with you. It’s not common knowledge—especially for a new recruit.”

Glory looked down at the floor and chuckled despite the conversation. “Your tragic backstory is safe with me.” The pair sat in silence as the fire burned down to embers. Glory threw what was left of her cigarette into the fire, giving it one last bit of fuel. She looked over and saw Desdemona staring. The red glow of the room highlighted her features, and Glory’s stomach turned as she recognized for the first time how physically attractive the woman who was to become her leader really was. “Human limitations…” she muttered.

Desdemona’s heart raced in a way it hadn’t in years, and she wished she was miles away from the rugged beauty of the new recruit. “What?”

“You should get to sleep, Dez. You need it more than I do, and it’s late. I’ll be on lookout.”

Desdemona nodded. “You’re right. We have a lot to do in the morning. Tomorrow we’ll meet back up with High Rise at Ticonderoga. You’ll be working with him from now on.”

“So I’m in the Railroad then?” asked Glory with a smile.

“You’re in.”

                                                                                             

* * *

 

 

Desdemona stood in front of the cracked mirror in her private quarters at the Switchboard, the new Railroad HQ. She leaned closer to the mirror as she tried to carefully apply eyeliner. As the door flung open behind her, she jumped, accidentally smudging the careful black line.

“Who’re you getting all gussied up for, Dez?” a voice asked.

Desdemona turned and saw Deacon wearing his signature wig and sunglasses and leaning against the wall. “What the fuck are you barging in here for, Deacon? I could have been changing!” 

“And wouldn’t _that_ have been a sight to see.” Deacon cleared his throat and crossed his arms. “I was just coming in to let you know Glory just got here with G5-19, and everyone’s waiting for your grand _welcome-to-HQ_ speech.” He licked his thumb and wiped away the smudge of eyeliner below Desdemona’s eye. “You had something there.”

“Don’t you ever do that again,” Desdemona growled. “I’ll be out in a few minutes. Now get out.”

“Alright! Fine, fine!” said Deacon, putting his hands up in surrender as he left the room.

Desdemona turned back to the mirror and finished putting on her eyeliner. She adjusted her scarf and ran her hands down the front of her shirt, trying to smooth it down. She rubbed at a patch of dirt for a few moments before deciding it was a lost cause. She ran her hands through her hair and stepped back, looking at herself when suddenly the door behind her opened again. “Deacon, how many times do I have to—”

“Hey Dez,” said a different voice—Glory’s.

Desdemona turned with a smile and blush on her face. “I apologize. I thought that you were Deacon coming in again…”

Glory approached Desdemona with a sly smile across her face. “You’re looking good.”

Desdemona swallowed then looked up and down Glory’s body. The woman was covered in dust and blood and God could only guess what else, but she sure did make it look better than anyone else in the Commonwealth could. “You are looking very good as well.” She cleared her throat. “Did…uh…did you get G5-19 settled in alright?”

“She’s in a cot getting a checkup from Carrington. I think it’ll be good for her here.”

“I think so too. If there’s anything she needs, let me know.” Desdemona took a step forward. “I’m happy to have you here at HQ. We’ve been needing a new heavy here, and you’re the perfect fit.”

“I’ve been waiting for you to invite me over,” replied Glory.

Desdemona took Glory’s hand, feeling her confidence grow as the woman didn’t pull away. “I suppose I should tell you that my happiness isn’t purely about business. The few times we’ve seen each other over the past eight months were not enough. I enjoy your company. That’s not why I promoted you of course…you’re by far the most qualified as well…but—”

Glory broke off Desdemona’s rambling with a kiss. She wrapped her arms around Desdemona’s waist as the woman deepened the kiss. Glory felt Desdemona’s tongue, warm and wet, slide into her mouth, and she tasted cigarettes. When the two pulled apart a few moments later, neither said a word. Glory smirked and gave a half-hearted salute before heading for the door.

“I’ll be out to give the speech in five minutes,” whispered Desdemona. Her heart pounded, and once Glory had left, she sat down on her cot to try and regain her composure. “Shit.”

                                                                                             

* * *

 

 

Glory stood with her arms crossed near Desdemona as the woman addressed the group. The mission was nothing abnormal or difficult—the goal was the destruction of an above-ground Institute research facility. A certain soreness in her arm however was all new for the setting, and she knew what lay underneath Desdemona’s carefully placed scarf. A smug grin sat on her face as she listened to the words of the leader of the Railroad.

“Is it clear what needs to be done?” Desdemona asked.

The other two agents nodded and scurried away to gather supplies for the mission, but Glory remained. “How’re you feeling, Dez?” she asked.

Desdemona looked down at the many papers related to the mission laid out in front of her, and a smile spread across her face. “I’m a bit worn out…”

                                                                                           

* * *

 

 

_Desdemona closed her eyes and lay down on her cot after a long day—and night—filled with work and planning for future operations. Just as she felt herself drifting off to sleep, the door flew open._

_“So are we gonna talk about what happened last week?” Glory asked, standing in the doorway._

_“Ugh,” groaned Desdemona. She stood and flipped on the light to find Glory wearing only a tanktop and cargo pants. Without the armor she normally surrounded herself in, Glory appeared much less physically imposing—though hard muscle covered her entire body and she was still obviously a force to be reckoned with.  Desdemona felt her face go hot. “Oh my…I’ve never seen you like that. You look…different.”_

_“And I’ve never seen you like that.” Glory gestured at the woman who stood in front of her in only a t-shirt but still her usual pants. “It’s cute.”_

_“Cute?” Desdemona scoffed. “What were you here for again?”_

_Glory took a step forward and pushed Desdemona back into the wall. “I want to know if you want this as much as I do.”_

_Desdemona leaned forward and kissed Glory once again on the mouth. “I want it.”_

_Glory reached her hand under Desdemona’s shirt, but the woman grabbed it and shoved it down the front of her pants._

_“Don’t waste time, Glory. I’m exhausted and I need to get to sleep soon.”_

_“You humans,” Glory breathed. She leaned down and dug her teeth into Desdemona’s neck then propped one of Desdemona’s legs up with her left hand and began to move inside her with her right._

_“Come on, I know you can go harder than that,” chided Desdemona before receiving another bite on her neck and a pounding between her shaky legs._

* * *

 

 

Glory was still slightly high on Med-X as she lay on Carrington’s operating table in nothing but a pair of pants. The doctor worked with steady hands to remove pieces of the bullet fragments in her chest. She winced with each touch of his—though in the back of her mind she remained thankful no internal damage had been done. Once all pieces of the bullet had been extracted, Carrington cleaned the wound then sat Glory up and wrapped her torso in clean strips of gauze. When Glory went to lie back down, she opened her eyes and saw Desdemona sitting in a nearby chair watching.

“I’ve done all that needs to be done right now, Desdemona. Would you like to speak with Glory alone?” the doctor asked.

Desdemona nodded and stood as Carrington exited the room and closed the door. Once they were alone, she spoke. “How the hell could this happen?” she growled.

Glory winced in pain as she tried to sit up a bit then forced a smile. “A Gunner snuck up on me. But don’t worry. The armor took the worst of it.”

Desdemona helped adjust the pillows so Glory could sit up.  

“That reminds me. Tell Tinker Tom I need him to make a heavier chest piece for me. The old one is a bit fucked.” She weakly pointed to the piece of armor laying on the floor near her.

Desdemona picked it up and examined it. The piece was covered in so many holes and dents that she wondered how Glory wasn’t in a worse state than she already was with a few wounds to the chest and minor bruising. “Tinker Tom can make you a whole new set of armor if you’d like, Glory. You deserve it.”

Glory closed her eyes for a moment. “Thank Tommy Whispers. He’s the one that took care of business after I went down.”

“I plan to. He’s learned a lot under your guidance over the past year, and he’ll be promoted to heavy soon.” Desdemona set the chest piece down.

“He deserves it,” Glory sighed. “Thanks for visiting me, Dez. I promise I’ll be up and at it again before long. Don’t worry. I won’t let the Railroad fall behind.”

Desdemona touched Glory’s cheek. “You know quite well I’m not here only on behalf of the Railroad.”

Glory looked down at her breasts, which had been spared any damage other than slight bruising. “What? Are you here to stare at my tits too?”

“Glory,” Desdemona scolded. She ran her hand through Glory’s short silver hair. “I care about you. When I heard over the radio you were coming back injured…I couldn’t think straight till you came through that door.”

“That’s going to make things a lot more complicated,” Glory whispered. She put her hand over Desdemona’s. “Either I’ll watch you get old and die, or you’ll get word I was killed out there on a mission.” Glory looked into Desdemona’s hazel eyes, noticing creases at the corners that hadn’t been there just two years prior. “Do you really want that kind of weakness, Dez? The fear of losing each other?”

“It’s already my weakness, Glory. It has been for quite some time.” Desdemona put her hands on either side of Glory’s face then leaned down and kissed her forehead. “But _you_ are my strength.”

“Dammit,” muttered Glory. “I hate that that’s not just some kind of _human_ limitation showing itself…but I know it’s not because…I feel it too.” She smiled faintly. “I can’t wait till I’m better, so I can fuck the hell out of you again.”

Desdemona smirked and kissed her gently on the mouth. “You get some rest then we can talk about that.”

Glory yawned and flinched as pain shot through her chest. “Okay, it’s a deal.”  

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading my first fic in the Fallout universe. I have vague plans for F!Sole Survivor x Piper x Curie x Cait as well as F!Courier x Veronica x Christine. I love polyships, so keep an eye out!


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